Canberra Business Tips

(Canberra, Australian Capital Territory - ACT, Australia)

Canberra, capital city and home to the Australian Government, is understandably one of Australia's most important business cities, containing many major financial institutions.

The city of Canberra is unusual, as there is no specific Central Business District (CBD), although the Civic district does contain a particularly high concentration of offices, together with the Barton, Parkes and Russell districts. Instead, Canberra has implemented strong policies to encourage even employment throughout the cityscape and this has resulted in a balanced and richer city, allowing more locals to live close to their employers and businesses.

One of Australia's most notable commercial and industrial cities, the city has world-class business facilities and good connections to all areas of the Australian Capital Territory, with the large Canberra Airport (CBR) being conveniently nearby. Canberra contains many premier business facilities, entertainment complexes and striking buildings, such as the New Parliament House on Capital Hill, seat of the local government.


A combination of impressive leisure and sports venues, retail and shopping centres, affordable hotels and accommodation options, world-class tourist attractions and historic landmarks, and the vast campuses of both the University of Canberra and the Australian National University (ANU), all contribute significantly to the city's healthy economy.

Canberra National Convention Centre

Address: 31 Constitution Avenue, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 2600, Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 6257 4905
The Canberra National Convention Centre is situated in the city centre and offers excellent conference, exhibition, meeting and banqueting facilities. Home to a large conference hall capable of housing around 1,000 delegates, other highlights include a theatre, a ballroom, a well-equipped business centre, a car park and experienced advisers, who are happy to assist with all stages of planning.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00

Business Hours and General Etiquette

Most of the offices and businesses in Canberra are open on weekdays from 09:00 to around 17:30, and banks operate between 09:30 and 16:30 Monday to Thursday, often remaining open until 17:00 on Friday. Canberra's largest banking branches usually provide convenient extended opening hours, between 08:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.

Canberra has plenty of ATM cashpoint machines that can be found throughout the city centre. Cashpoints provide a useful way for holiday makers to exchange currency, together with numerous bureau de change outlets in central Canberra. Shops, restaurants, cafés and hotels readily accept all major credit cards, such as MasterCard, Visa and American Express.

Currency

Currency in Canberra and Australia as a whole is decimal, with the Australian dollar as the basic unit of currency. One Australian dollar has 100 cents and the notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10 and $5 denominations. Coins come in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 amounts and transactions involving 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 or 9 cents are either rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5 cents.

Greeting Someone

A brief handshake is the most common customary greeting in Australia. It is widely acceptable to address new business acquaintances on first name terms in Canberra and businessmen are usually extremely polite. Formal businesswear, such as suits and ties, is most appropriate in the majority of the city's offices and financial institutions.

Smoking

Businesses, offices and restaurants in Canberra have strict 'no smoking' policies and some locals are becoming strongly opposed to smoking. It is therefore a good idea to ask those nearby before you start smoking, in case they have any objections.